Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night

And on October 3rd, 2012 on a early Fall night in Milwaukee the 2012 San Diego Padres season came to an end. And never has a 76 win season been more celebrated.

Baseball is a microcosm for life. Except in one, very distinct, way. Life, your losses stay on your record. It's one long season. In baseball, everything is cyclical. Everything starts anew in the Spring. And I can't wait.

For now, the Padres 2012 season is over.

The Padres end with 76 wins. That's 2.5 more than Vegas predicted, and probably about 15 games more than anyone expected back when the team was 19-40. A 100 loss season seemed eminent.

Then something crazy happened.

On May 18th, the Padres outright released Orlando Hudson and moved Bartlett to the DL list of lost souls. They were 14-26.

I remember vividly where I was when it happened. As non-on the field moments go, this felt BIG. Not Adrian Gonzalez traded big (was sitting on my couch obsessively updating Twitter waiting for the news) or Mat Latos trade (Christmas shopping with my wife in Pasadena). But nevertheless, this felt important. I was leaving court, driving out of a parking garage and had just turned on Darren Smith when I heard. It was, at the time, the highlight of the 2012 Padres season.

They finished May on a 3-13 run after this. Things were not turning around immediately. But the team felt, I don't know, more fun to root for. Youth on the field. Making errors one can come to expect from youth. But also bringing with them excitement.

June was a modest improvement. 12-15. Not great, but a far cry better than the 17-35 in April and May.

They didn't play under .500 in a month (3 days in October not withstanding) again.

They went 33-21 in July and August before a .500 September and a 1-2 October.

"Bad early. Good late." - Bud Black

That pretty much sums up the Padres season.

I was as despondent as I have ever been as a Padres fan at the beginning of the year. I am as optimistic as I have ever been at the end of one.

There will be time this Winter to discuss the amazing season of Chase Headley, what the Padres need to fill in the pieces in 2013 and the health of a very young pitching staff.

For now though, let's enjoy a great second half of a season, a sale that may have revived baseball in San Diego, and dreams of what 2013 may hold.

As Yonder Alonso put it on Twitter tonight:

I'm very sad to end the season. Wish we had 1 more month to do work! Back at it soon!!! Great W tonight!! #2013 is our year! DALE!

— Yonder Alonso (@YonderalonsoU) October 4, 2012

That one more month is coming...April 2013.

To Better Days

I was born in 1980 so, technically, I was around for the 1984 World Series Padres team. Except I was 3 when it happened. And living in Virginia. It was in 1984 that I was moved (Because, at 3, you don't move. You are moved) to Oceanside. Life as a military family.

To borrow a phrase from Gaslamp Ball, I've been cognitively aware of the Padres since about 1987, if I had to put a year on it. I'm sure I was a "fan," for whatever that means to someone under the age of 10, but when I really search my memory it is 1987 that comes to mind. I have no idea why. But for the purposes of this post, let's use that year as a starting point.

In that time frame I've witnessed some extraordinary highs:

Benito Santiage Wins Rookie of the Year - 1987
Mark Davis Won a Cy Young - 1988
Tony Gwynn Won Batting Title on Final Day vs Will Clark - 1989
Tony Gwynn Chases .400 - 1994
The 1996 Season, including an MVP for Caminiti, Batting Title for Gwynn, and a sweep of the Dodgers on the final day to win the NL West. - 1996
Going to the World Series - 1998 (also includes my first MLB playoff game in person)
Division Championships in '05 and '06 - 2005; 2006
Jake Peavy's Cy Young - 2007
Trevor Hoffman's 500th Save - 2007
Trevor Hoffman's Number Retired - 2011

But boy, there have been some dark, dark times. The 1994 MLB Strike, the fire sale in which Gary Sheffield, Fred McGrief, Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar all left within a year's time, Game 163, the 1998 World Series, Ken Caminiti's steroid abuse and subsequent death, the Adrian Gonzalez trade, and most damaging perhaps of all, the Moores divorce.

Tomorrow, the Padres officially welcome in their new ownership group. A group that has spent $800 million to be the 6th different owner in the franchise history. No one today can say whether this will be looked back as the dawning of the most successful years in Padres history, a colossal failure, or something in between.

But that's the cool thing about fresh starts. Anything is possible. There is a world of possibility. For a fan base that has endured only 16 at or above .500 seasons in their history, and has only won 1 total game won in World Series play, new owners, with new pocketbooks, bring with them the possibility that better days are ahead.

To Dream the Impossible Dream

If you are not one for optimism, or one for rooting for what appears to be the impossible, look away. If underdogs and made-for-Hollywood comebacks make you queasy, this post is not for you.

Because what I'm about to say defies logic, common sense, and will likely lead you to discredit any opinion forthwith as the ravings of a madman.

But I'm not so sure the Padres are out of the 2012 playoff picture.




Stay with me now. And let me make this crystal clear. I have no expectation that they can do it. Zero.

But...it could happen.

In 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals were 10.5 games back of the Wild Card on August 25th. They won the World Series.

In 2010, well, I think you know what the Giants did.

And let's not forget the multiple years of Rocktober we've witnessed. The precedent has been set.

What if the Padres could be one of those stories?

Again, this is madness. Craziness really. Or is it?

The Padres finished a July above .500 (15-11) for the first time since 2010. Meanwhile, the Dodgers played .500, the Diamondbacks at 14-13, and the Giants at .500. Should that happen again in August, the Padres would be 7.5 games back at the start of September.

In September, the Padres play the Diamondbacks, Giants and Dodgers 6 times each.

It's possible. That's all I'm saying. Not probable. Possible.

Cashner is throwing bullpen sessions. Grandal is tweeting about his return. Chase Headley has caught fire now that he doesn't have to check trade rumors every hour of every day, Quentin is healthy (ish) and providing protection, and the team is committing less errors.

If sports has taught me anything, is that the impossible is possible. It was impossible that Adam Scott would lose the British Open with a 4 shot lead with 4 holes to play. Yet he did. It was impossible that the Giants could beat the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl. Except they did. George Mason in the Final Four? IMPOSSIBLE! Yet it happened.

Teams get hot. Other teams fade. Lightning in a bottle. Cliche. Cliche. Cliche.

But isn't it more fun to hope?

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." - if I have to tell you what this is from...watch more movies.

10 Reasons The 2nd Half Won't Suck As Much As The 1st Half

Hey there strangers. The blog posting has been sporadic to say the least around here. Hoping to change that. With any luck, the Padres will provide me with more material in the next 2 and a half months.

The 1st half of the season has not been, what's the word, "good." Currently, there are 12 players on the Padres DL. 12. Since the beginning of Spring Training, 22 different players have been injured. That's nearly an entire roster of players. Only the Boston Red Sox have more players currently on their DL than the Padres. At one point this year, half of the Padres payroll was either hurt, benched, or had been out right released.

This has contributed to a 34-53 record at the All-Star Break. Now, I don't think many harbored any delusions of division championships before the season began. But, I don't think this team is nearly as bad as that record suggest. 22 injuries will do that too you.

At 19 games under .500, you might be asking yourself "why keep watching?" Fair enough. Thus, I present to you 10 Reasons the 2nd Half of the Season Won't Suck as Much as the 1st Half:

10) Cameron Maybin's Toe Tap
I foolish predicted Maybin would be the Padres All-Star at the beginning of the year, banking on the fact that Maybin would continue improving on his mini-breakout year of 2011. About 100,000 strikeouts later, that prediction could not look more dumb. To help fix Maybin without sending him down to AAA, he is now trying a much shorter swing stride, or a "toe tap." Anecdotally it seems to be helping as only days after making that change he crushed a 485 ft HR in Phoenix. Here's to a better 2nd half, thanks to the toe tap!

9) Andrew Cashner's Return
Like most, I thought the worst when Cashner grabbed his elbow after air-mailing a warm-up pitch in Phoenix. I assumed yet another Tommy John surgery which meant not seeing Cashner until August/September of 2013. To say I was crestfallen would be an understatement. But it doesn't sound so serious now. Placed on the 15 Day DL with a strained right lat, it sounds like an injury that could have knocked Cashner out for more than a year will now only keep him out for about a month. Which means mid-August, the 100 MPH fastball returns.

8) The Trade Deadline
It's pretty clear the Padres will be active at the deadline this year. Quentin, Street, Headley, Denofia, all players who have been mentioned recently as being of interest to contending teams. The trade deadline will alter the current face of the Padres. What they get in return will be interesting.

7) The Forsythe/Amarista/Cabrera Middle Infield
Long gone are the Hudson/Bartlett days. They now reside in that part of my brain where I keep memories I don't want to think about. *shudder The quality of play up the middle has increased. And even if it doesn't translate into more runs, it's a hell of a lot more fun watching these guys then it ever was watching Hudson and Bartlett.

6) Avoiding 100 Losses
This has become my number one goal for the 2012 season. Avoid 100 losses. I'd be willing to put money down right now that they do. You know, if I were a gambling man. (Editor's Note: I'm a gambling man.) Heading into the All-Star Break the Padres were suddenly playing over .500, despite dropping 3 of 4 to the Reds. Partially due to a soft section of the schedule, its also due to the fact that the team is simply playing better.

5) Yasmani Grandal
Look, Nick, we had some fun times. Some laughs. They were great. But I'm not the same person I was back then. I've found someone else. He hits from both sides of the plate, with power, and has a mohawk. It's not you, it's Grandal.

4) New Owners
I don't pretend to have the business acumen to know whether the O'Malley Group is financially solvant enough to run a team or whether they are even the right choice for this team. I do know that having confusion at the top or worst, a lame duck, is bad for the on-field product. Having a relatively easy ownership transfer and getting the new owners in place before the season is out is a good thing, even if Moores walks with $200 million.

3) Playing Spoiler
From September 18th - September 30th, the Padres play: AZ, SF, LA, SF. Three teams that will likely be in the hunt for a playoff spot. If you can't make the playoffs, at least keep other teams from making the playoffs.

2) Minor League Prospects
If you head north on the 15 about an hour you can watch 2011 1st Round pick Cory Spangenberg. And the watch the Storm make another push for a California League Championship. The Missions are full of players on the relatively immediate radar of Padres fans (Decker, Liriano, Roach, Erlin). Max Fried (2012 1st Rd pick) is signed, sealed, delivered. The Minor Leagues are stock full of interesting stories and optimism. Get yourself out there to a minor league game before the season is up!

1) Big Eye IPA and Tacos
You could really do this during the 1st half of the season but, The Pier at Petco Park has become my favorite part at the park. Great views, great beer, delicious tacos. Who cares what the score is? I'm full.

Planning Your 2012 Padres Road Trip

The San Diego Padres 2012 season schedule was officially unveiled today, providing all fans a momentary distraction from the Padres 2011 season (mercifully).

And while there will be plenty of time to look at the schedule from a strategic standpoint, or look for key series late in the season (hopefully), today is about party planning.

Road trip party planning.

The 2011 Padres interleague schedule gave fans two great excuses for travelling. Road games in Minnesota (and new Target Field) and Boston were quickly seized upon by fans. Including myself, who took the once every 6 years opportunity to travel to Boston (a city I had never been before) and take in a game at Fenway (also a first, obviously).

So, looking ahead, what road trips are most enticing for Padres fans? Let's take a look at some of the road trip opportunities that stuck out to me:

May 11-15
@Philadelphia; @Washington
This is the trip for you history buffs. Two of the most historic cities in American history in back-to-back series. Plus the potential to see Strasburg in person and the (relatively) new Nationals Park. The downside...Phillies fans. Batteries not included.

May 24 - 30
@New York Mets; @Chicago Cubs
If history isn't your thing, then perhaps visiting two of the most iconic cities in America will be. Take in a Broadway show, walk Central Park and check out Citi Field for the first time. Then head West to historic Wrigley Field (a stadium that should move immediately to the top of your baseball stadium bucket list if you haven't been) and enjoy deep dish pizza, Chicago hot dogs and a fan base more depressed than our own. This trip will help you finally decide, once and for all, New York Pizza or Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.

June 12 - 17
@Seattle; @Oakland
Interleague! While Oakland doesn't have the same sex appeal as Minnesota or Boston, hey, it's interleague! A little Pacific Northwest trip where you can take in fresh salmon, grunge music and spend all your time in San Francisco while "visiting" Oakland. Also, watch the Vedder Cup, Year 2, in person!

July 27-29
@Miami
I read that the Florida Marlins are changing their name to Miami as of next year. One step closer to Back to the Future, Part II being true! Brand new stadium, fun dining and nightlife city, possible hurricanes. This trip has it all!

August 10-12
@Pittsburgh
Long considered, by those that have been, as one of the great ballparks in America. I'm pretty sure they put french fries in their sandwiches in Pittsburgh as well. So there's that.

And of course the usual array of NL West cities. Personally, I have yet to make it to Denver or San Fran for a game (blasphemy, I know). A problem I hope to rectify in the 2012 season.

So pack your bags, buy those plane tickets, and I'll see you all on the road!